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W. CAMERON.

DRIER,

APPLICATION FILED [150.4, 1919.

Patented Sept 13,1921

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W. CAMERON.

DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED 01:04, 1919.

1,9033%, P tentedfiept. 13, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNETED TAB WILLIAM CAMERON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DRIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Sept. 13, 1921.

Application filed December 4, 1919. Serial No. 342,342.

To a// whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, lVILLLiM CAMERON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicage, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in a Drier of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates in general to driers. and more particularly tomachines for drying the compound, which is applied to the margins of tincan ends.

In the manufacture of tin cans, the ends are stamped out of sheet metal,such as tin, and after the edges have been curled, a compound is appliedto the margin on the inner face of each nd in order that when the endsare double-seamed onthe can body, a hermetic seal will be effected. Thiscompound, when applied, is in the form of a. viscous fluid and in orderthat the ends may be handled in the operations preceding the applicationof the ends to the can bodies, it is essential that the compound appliedto the ends be dried. Since the compound comprises a considerableproportion of volatile liquid, such as gasolene, the subjection of theends to which the compound has been applied to heat for a moderateperiod of time will dry the compound sufliciently for the requiredpurposes.

One of the primary objects of my present invention is to provide a drierwhich will automatically handle the ends to which the viscous compoundhas been applied and dry this compound rapidly and effectively.

Another object of the invention is to automatically stack the ends afterthe compound has been dried so that they can be easily handled andremoved from the drier and placed in the magazine of the next machine,which operates upon the ends. I

A further object of my invention is to provide a machine of thischaracter which will occupy a minimum amount of floor space, one whichwill be simple in construction and cheap to manufacture, and which willbe rapid and eflicient in operation.

Another feature of a machine embodying my invention resides in the factthat the machine is readily adjustable to operate upon can ends ofvarious diameters. This feature enables the machine to be quicklychanged from one size of can ends to another and eliminates thenecessity of a different machine for the different sizes of ends to beoperated upon.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of my invention willbe readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood, byreference to the following description, when considered in connectionwith the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partially in section, of a drier embodyingmy invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view on an en largeil scale, showing theadjustable support for the upper end of the rod which maintains the camends in the requisite vertical alinement F 3 a plan view of the machineshown. in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4t is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the stops which arrestthe movement of the cam ends on the coni' 'eyer; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 4.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, it will be observed thatthe machine comprises primarily, a box-like base or frame 6, by whichthe various mechanisms are supported. Extending transversely of thisframe and journaled therein, is the main drive shaft 7, upon the outerend of which is rotatably mounted the power pulley 8, adapted to beconnected to the shaft 7 by means of a clutch 9 of well known orpreferred construction, which is actuated by the hand lever 11. A gear12, fixed upon the shaft 7 is adapted to mesh with and drive gear 13,fixed in turn upon a countershaft 1%, also extending transversely of themachine and journaled in the frame 0, as will be apparent from Fig. 3.

Upon the shaft 14, intermediate its ends is mounted a pulley 15 and inalinement therewith at the opposite side of the machine, there ismounted a pulley 16, which is supported in a bracket 17 carried upon arigid rod or support projecting laterally from the machine frame. Aconveyor in theform of a belt 18, is trained over the two pulleys 15 and16, the upper lap of the con-- veyer being adapted to travel upon aguide or support 19, so that can ends placed upon the conveyer will becarried thereby toward the right, viewing Fig. 3, into a position to beoperated upon, as will be later explained. For the purpose of guidingthe can ends in their travel, I have provided at each side of theconveyer, an upwardly projecting guide flange 21, the distance betweenthese flanges being slightly greater than the diameter of the can ends22. These guides are connected to the frame of the machine by bolt andslot connections so that they can be adjusted toward or from each otherto accommodate between them can ends of various diameters.

A can end being carried along by the conveyer is arrested in itsmovement in the requisite position by means of a pair of stops,illustrated in Figs. 3, a and 5. Each of these stops consists of adownwardly projecting finger 23 adjustably secured by bolt 24: to aplate 25, mounted by bolt and slot connections in a guideway 26 upon thebed or frame of the machine. From Fig. l, it will be manifest that thelower ends of the stop fingers 23 project below the plane of the uppersurface of the conveyer 18 and from Fig. 5, it will be seen that thesefingers are disposed at each side of the conveyor 18 so that a can endcarried along by the conveyer will abut against these fingers and bebrought to rest while the conveyer belt moves along beneath it. Byloosening the nuts upon the bolts 2%, the stop fingers may be adjustedinto the requisite position to stop the. ends at the proper point. Theplate 25 is also adjustable by reason of its bolt and slot connection.and this plate is provided at one end with a pedestal or socket 27, inwhich is seated the lower end of a vertically extending rod 28. Thepedestal 27 is cut away at one side tangent to the rod 28, as will bemanifest from Figs. 4 and 5, so that this edge of the rod serves as aguide for the can ends during their vertical movements, as will be laterdescribed. The plate 25 carrying the rod, is capable of adjustmentlongitudinally of the conveyer to accommodate the machine to can ends ofvarious diameters and when the proper adjustment of the rod 28 has beeneffected. the stop fingers 23 are then adjusted about the bolts 24 as acenter to bring these fingers and the guiding edge of the rod 28 into anarc, the radius of which is equal to the radius of the can ends to beoperated upon, so that the stop fingers will arrest a can end on theconveyor with its forward edge tangent to the guiding edge of the rodthe top of the machine frame. Upon these plates 31 there are secured bybolts housings 33, suitably strengthened and braced by integral ribs 34and these housings as will be evident from Fig. 1, surround the heatingelements with the exception of the inner opposed edges thereof which areleft exposed. The upper ends of the housings are equipped with rollerbearings 35, in which the upper ends of the heating elements arejournaled, the spindle of this hearing being formed by a hollow plug 36fitted into the upper end of the cylindrical element and having areduced upwardly extending portion 37 disposed within the rollerbearing. The bearings for the lower ends of the heating elements arepreferably constructed similar to the bearings for the upper ends.

Each heating element is provided upon its periphery with screw threads38 which extend longitudinally thereof, the lower ends of the threadsterminating in the plane of the conveyer belt so that a can end broughtinto osition by the conveyer against the stopl ngers 23 Wlll be disposedin alinement wit and between the threaded heating elements and uponrotation of these elements, the end will he picked up by the screwthreads and caused to travel upwardly longitudinally of and betweenthese elements.

F-ach heating element has affixed thereto at its lower end, a spiralgear 39 and upon the shaft '7 is splined a pair of driving spiral gearsd1 adapted to mesh with and drive the gears 39, thereby impartingrotation to the heating elements. he gears are so designed that theelements will both be rotated simultaneously at the same speed and inthe same direction, with the result that the exposed portions of thesecylindrical elements will move in opposite directions so that a can enddisposed between and engaged by these elements will be revolved duringits upward travel so as to repeatedly bring all of the points on theperipheries of the ends into successive contact with the heatingelements.

The plates 31 by which the heating elements are carried are equippedwith downwardly projectingintcriorly threaded bosses through which anadjusting rod or shaft 4L2 extends. this shaft being provided with rightand lefthand threads 43 and is respectively. which are engaged with thebosses on the respective plates so that when the shaft is revolved bymeans of an adjusting hand wheel affixed to the outer end of the shaft.the plates and the heating elements carried thereby will be adjustedtoward or from each, other to accommodate between them can ends ofvarious diameters. The spiral gears a1 splined on the shaft 7 aresleeved to lateral projections d6 of the plates 31 so that these gearsmove longitudi nally of the shaft with the plates 31 when they areadjusted, thus maintaining the meshing relation between the spiral gearsll on the shaft and the spiral gears 39 affixed to the lower ends of theheating elements. It will thus be manifest that the heating elements arecapable of adjustment toward and from each other to accommodate betweenthem can ends of various diameters and that this adjustment isaccomplished by manipulation of a single hand wheel 45, and furthermore, that the driving mechanism for rotating the elements is maintainedin cooperative relation irrespective of the adjusted positions of theelements.

The elements are heated. interiorly by gas flames at the lower ends ofthe elements. Beneath each element and projecting up thereinto above thebearings for the lower ends thereof is a gas burner 47 to which a propercombustive mixture of gas and air is delivered from the mixing valves48, each capable of adjustment to deliver the requisite miXture throughthe instrumentality of hand wheels 49. Air in the requisite proportionsenters the mixing valves from the atmosphere and the gas is supplied tothese valves by branches 51 connected by main lead 52 with any suitablegas supply, which may be illuminating gas, natural gas or otherpreferred type. The heat generated by the gas flames heats the elements29 throughout their length and the products of combustion are deliveredat the upper ends of the elements through the channels 52 formed in thebearing members 3'7 and pass out through the passages 53 formed in caps54, disposed over the upper end of the guards 33. Dampers 55 arrangedwithin the channels 53 afford provision for regulating the draft andthereby the temperature to which the heating elements will be heated.This temperature also is further capable of regulation by manipulationof the valve wheels 49.

As previously explained the vertical rod 28 forms a guide for the rearedges of the can ends during their upward travel between the heatingelements so that these ends, guided at three points, that is, by the twoheating elements and by this guide rod are maintained in verticalalinement during their upward travel. This rod is adjustably supportedat its lower end by the plate 25, as previously explained, and it isfurther adjustably supported just above the guards on housings 33 by abracket 56 (Figs. 2 and 3) adjustably secured by a bolt and slotconnection to one of the caps 54, as shown in Fig. 2 and carrying at itsouter end a member 57 embracing the rod 28. This member 57 is alsoadjustable on bracket 56 by reason of a bolt and slot connection theretoso that whenthis member is loosened on the bracket and the bracket isloosened with respect to its supporting cap 54, any supporting de siredadjustment between the rod 28 and the housing 33 may be secured.

In order to guide the can ends and maintain them in stacked relationabove the heating elements, I have mounted upon each of the caps 54 avertically disposed guide rod 58 which is so positioned that its inneredge is in alincment with and in effect forms a continuation of theguiding surface of the heating element with the result that after theends are delivered upwardly from the upper ends of the heating elements,they are maintained in vertical stacked alineine'nt between the rods 28and 58 and are gradually forced upwardly as succeeding ends aredelivered to the bottom of the stack.

In the operation of the machine, after the burners have been lighted andthe heating elements have been raised to the proper temperature, theclutch is thrown in to set the machine in operation. Can ends are nowplaced on the belt conveyer either by hand or automatically, and by thisconveyer they are moved toward the center of the machine until they arestopped between the heating elements by the stop fingers 23. The screwthreads on the exteriors of the heating ele ments now pick up the endand move it upwardly between the heating elements and since theseelements rotate in the same direc tion, the ends during their elevationwill be continuously revolved so that all points on their peripheriesare repeatedly subjected to contact with the hot elements, with theresult that they are sufiiciently heated to dry the compound by the timethey reach the upper ends of the elements. After being delivered at theupper ends of the elements, they are still maintained in verticalstacked relation by the guide rods, and as successive ends are deliveredupwardly to the bottom of the stack, the stack gradually rises and bythe time the ends approach the tops of the guide rods, they aresufiiciently cooled to enable them to be manually removed in stacks andplaced in the magazine of another machine.

It will be manifest from the foregoing that I have provided a machinewhich is simple in construction, compact in arrangement and one whichwill dry the compound on the can ends by direct conduction of heat tothe ends from the heating elements and that after the compound has beendried, the ends are stacked so that they can be easily handled.

lVhile I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of myinvention, it

should be understood that it is not circumscribed by the description anddrawings which are illustrated merely, but that it is capable ofconsiderable modification and variation within the scope of theinvention defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a drier, the combination of a hollow screw, means for heating saidscrew, means for holding a can end in contact therewith and means forrotating said screw to cause a can end to travel longitudinally of saidscrew in contact therewith.

2. In a drier, the combination of a hollow screw, means for applyingheat to the interior thereof, means for holding a can end against saidscrew and means for rotating said screw to cause a can end to travelfrom one end to the other of said screw and in contact therewith.

3. In a drier, the combination of rotatable hollow heating means, meansfor delivering heat to the interior thereof, and means for rotating saidheating means to bring successive portions thereof in heat conductingrelation to a can end contacting therewith.

at. In a drier, the combination of a heating element, means for apilying heat to the in terior thereof, means for holding can ends incontact therewith, and means for actuating said element to cause saidends to travel longitudinally of said element and in contact therewith,and at the same time to revolve so as to subject all points on theperiphery of said ends to the action of said element.

Ina drier, the combination of a hollow heating element having a screwthreaded exterior, means for applying heat to the interior of saidelement, means for delivering can ends into operative relation to saidelement. means for maintaining said ends in contact with said elementand means for revolving said element so as to feed the can endslongitudinally of the element and at the same time impart a rotarymovement to said ends.

6. In a drier, the combination of a plurality of hollow heating elementsarranged in spaced relation, each of said elements having a screwthreaded exterior, means for applying heat to the interior of saidelements, means for delivering can ends between said 'elements,'andmeans for simultaneously rotating said elements so that the can endswill be 'fed longitudinally of the elements by said screw threads andwill be simultaneously rotated to bring all points on the peripheriesthereof into contact with said elements.

'7. In a drier, the combination of a plurality of hollow cylindricalelements arranged in spaced relation and provided upon their peripherieswith screw threads, means for delivering can ends between said elements,means whereby the distance between said elements may be varied toaccommodate can ends of different diameters, means for applying heat tothe interior of said elements, and means for simultaneously revolvingsaid elements in the same direction.

8. In a drier, the combination of a plurality of rotatably mountedhollow cylindriill heating, elements arranged in spaced relation andprovided with exterior screw threads, means for heating said elements,means for simultaneously rotating said ele ments in the same direction,and means for stacking can ends delivered by said elements.

9. In a drier, the combination of a plurality of vertically disposedcylindrical heating elements, each provieed on its exterior with screwthreads, means for feeding can ends into position between the lower endsof said elements, abutments for stopping the horizontal travel of saidends, means for heating said elements, means for simultaneously rotatingthe elements to feed said can ends upwardly between the elements and atthe. same time revolve said ends, and means for maintaining the ends instacked relation above said elements after being delivered therefrom.

10. In a drier, the-combination of a plurality of vertically disposedcylini'lrical heating elements arranged in spaced relation, meanswhereby the distance between said elements may be varied, a conveyerdisposed between said elements, means for stopping can ends on saidconveyer in operative relation to said elements, means for a nalyingheat to the interior of said elements, means for simultaneously rotatingsaid elements in the same direction, and means extending above saidelements for maintaining can ends delivered upwardly by said elements instacked relation.

11. In a drier, the combination of a pair of vertically disposedcylindrical heating ele ments, provided with exterior screw threads,means for heating said elements, means for simultaneously rotating saidelements in the same direction, a conveyor disposed between saidelements, a plurality of adjustable stops by which can ends on saidconveyer are brought to rest between said elements, a verticallydisposed rod for preventing displacement of can ends from between saidelements, means whereby the said rod may be adjusted toward or from saidelements, and 1.

means whereby said elements may be adjusted toward or fromeach other toacccmmodate can ends of various sizes.

12. In a drier, the combination of a horizontal conveyer, means forfeeding can ends successively vertically from said conveyer andsimultaneously heating by conduction the peripheral margins of saidends, and means for arranging said heating ends in a vertical stack.

13. In a drier, the combination of a pair of vertically disposed heatingelements, a horizontal conveyer'operating between the lower ends of saidelements, an adjustable stop at each side of said conveyer whereby canends on the conveyer are arrested between said elements, means forrotating said elements, means for applying heat to the interior of saidelements, and means for stacking the can ends delivered by saidelements.

14. In a drier, the combination of a cylindrical heating means providedwith exterior screw threads, means for maintaining a can end inengagement withsaid heating means,

and mechanism for actuating said heating means to cause a relativemovement between said end and said heating means.

15. In a drier, the combination of a pluiality of cylindrical heatingelements, means for heating the same, means for maintaining a can end inheat conducting relation to said elements, and mechanism for rotatingsaid elements whereby to change the points of heat conducting contactbetween said end and said elements.

1.6. In a drier, the combination of a plurality of cylindrical heatingelements, means for applying heat to the interior thereof means formaintaining a can end in heat contacting relation to said elements, andmeans for actuating said elements to impart a 1'0- tary movement to saidend and to cause a movement of: said end longitudinally of said element.

VILLIAM CAMERON.

